Oburax
Consonants
s | sʲ | ʃ | |
p | t̪ | tʲ | k |
w- -b- |
d̪ | j- -dʲ- |
-g- |
mb | nd̪ | ndʲ | ŋg |
m | n̪ | nʲ | |
l | lʲ | r |
The somewhat backwards distribution of initial glides vs. medial voiced stops originates in that the voiced stops (except /d/) originate from medial voicing of voiceless stops; modern medial voiceless stops come from former consonant clusters of sibilant+stop. Thus, some /p t tʲ k/ alternate with /b d dʲ g/.
Clusters of voiced stop + voiceless stop are realized with glottalization of the 1st stop and weak voicing of the 2nd: thus /sud̪ka/ [sud̪̚ʔg̊a], /wæmbtʲek/ [wæmʔd̥ʲek].
In some dialects initial prenasal stops denasalize to yield new voiced stops; in some others initial /w/, /j/ → /b~g/, /dʲ/. Also, in some dialects /p/ can become [ɸ] intervocally.
A more frequent dialectal (incl. colloquial standard speech) feature is the palatalization of /s l/ to /sʲ lʲ/ near front vowels, which tends to go with velarization of remaining /l/. More innovating dialects (which also realize /sʲ tʲ (n)dʲ/ as [ɕ tɕ (n)dʑ]) palatalize /ʃ/ as well.
/w-/ does not occur before difthongs ending in /u/.
Vowels
i | ɯ | u | ||
e | ø | |||
æ | ɑ | ɒ |
Vowels are long in an initial syllable, except before a consonant cluster (incl. prenasal stops). Long /ɒ/ is typically [ɔː].
There are also the difthongs /ie iø iu eu au ou/. Before a consonant other than a velar or /ʃ/, /iu/ is realized as [y(ː)]. Distribution of the /iV/ difthongs and /ou/ is somewhat limited: they may only occur in monosyllables. /au/ is rarely maintained and is usually pronounced identical to /ou/.
Eastern dialects:
- ɒ > o
- ɯ > ʌ
- ie iø > i y
- iu eu > yu øu
- ɑ > ɒ (most innovativ subdialects)
Southern dialects:
- ø > o
- retention of /au/
The Biru dialect has added a stop at the end of monosyllabic words ending in a high vowel, if no coda otherwise exists:
- /i/ → /idʲ/
- /ɯ/ → /ɯg/
- /u iu eu au ou/ → /ub ib eb ab ob/
In bisyllabic roots, the V₂ arkiphonemes become [i e] near palatalized consonants, and remain approximately [ɯ ə] otherwise.
Morphophonology
<T D> etc. are shorthand for the two series of coronals (or three sibilants).
Roots can be of eight different basic shapes:
- Monosyllabic: σ
- (C)V
- Vowel-initial suffixes may lead to various vowel contractions.
- (C)VC
- C₂, if a stop, may alternate between voiced (intervocally) and voiceless (otherwise).
- (C)VC(P)
- C₃ is always a voiceless stop and only surfaces before vowel-initial suffixes. Appearing clusters include /pT/, /mbT/, /mbk/, /ST/, /Tk/, /d̪k/, /nDk/, /kT/, /ŋgT/.
- (C)V(S/P)
- C₂ is always a sibilant, C₃ a voiceless stop. The stop is the default; the sibilant surfaces before certain consonant-initial suffixes, typically nasals (also //ST//+/L/ > /SL/). Some assimilations also apply, eg. /sʲ/+/l r/ > /sl sr/.
- (C)V
- Sesquisyllabic: σ(σ)
- (C)VC(ə)C
- [ə] is lost before a vowel-initial suffix. C₂ may alternate between voiced and voiceless, if a stop. C₃ is always a voiceless stop or a liquid.
- (C)VC(ə)(C)
- A small set of words with the consonantism //Nm ld̪ rd̪//. Resembles the previous class, except C₃ fails to appear in certain forms (e.g. word-finally).
- (C)VC(ə)C
- Bisyllabic: σσ
- (C)VCəC
- Most roots with C₂ and C₃ both sonorants fall here.
- (C)VCɨC
- Generally invariant, save for possible stop voicing. C₃ is always a voiceless stop or a liquid; /t̪ tʲ lʲ/ are rare here.
- (C)VCəC
Types σ₃, σ₄, σ(σ)₁, σ(σ)₂, σσ₁ are basically in complementary distribution: the inflection type is determined by the identity of C₂ and Cɜ. The main exception are //ST// roots, which may be σ₃ or σ₄, and nominal //pT// roots, which may be σ₃ or σ(σ)₂ (all verbs are the latter).
Derived stems may pattern similar to σ₁ roots, σσ₂ roots, σ(σ)₁ roots, or σ₄ roots.
Semicompatible dump
/pil/ /sʲin/ /wik/ /ŋgip/ /rinʲəs/ /iu/
/dek/ /dek-s/ /derəm/ /tʲeŋg/ /we/ /keŋg/ /neʃ/ /jek/ /sedʲət/
/wæm/ /sʲæk/ /wæl/ /æ/
/tønʲ/ /søp/ /køt/ /møtət/
/sɯ/ /ŋgɯr/ /pɯ/ /tʲɯt/ /lɯp/
/tʲarəp/ /warət/ /ʃan/ /ʃand/ /lak/ /at/ /kau/ /samb/
/mbuk/ /dun/ /mugə/ /sum/ /sut/ /sudək/ /wus/ /tʃu/ /pu/ /rul/